This invention relates to insect attractants for house flies, Coleoptera (beetles) and Psychodidae (sand flies). More particularly this invention relates to compositions of matter containing dimethyl disulfide or dibutyl succinate or combinations of dimethyl disulfide and dibutyl succinate as attractants for Coleoptera, Psychodidae and house flies.
Fast intercontinental travel and trade are stepping up chances of importing nonindigenous insect pests into the United States. Attractants, or lures, can be of considerable aid in facilitating the early detection of such insect pests, and they are of vital importance in measuring the progress of a program aimed at eradicating a species that has become established.
In agriculture Handbook No. 239 published by the Agricultural Research Service of the United State of America Department of Agriculture issued in June 1963 entitled, "Materials Tested As Insect Attractantsn", compiled by M. Beroza and N. Green, bis(2-methyl allyl) disulfide having the structure: ##STR3## is indicated to have a very high attractancy index ("3" on a scale of 1 to 3 for the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and "1" on a scale of 1 to 3 for the Oriental Fruit Fly. The dibutyl ester of succinic acid is indicated in Agriculture Handbook No. 239 to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly only slightly ("1" on a scale of 1 to 3) whereas the dibutyl ester of 1,1,3,5-tetramethyl-2-octenyl succinic acid is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit fly at a level of "2" on a scale of 1 to 3; the Melon Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3; the Mediterranean Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3; and the Mexican Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3. The dibutyl ester of tartaric acid is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly at a level of "2" on a scale of 1 to 3; it is indicated to attract the Melon Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3; and it is indicated to attract the Mediterranean Fruit Fly at a level of "2" on a scale of 1 to 3.
On the other hand, di-n-butyl succinate having the structure: ##STR4## is indicated as a fly repellent in U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,219 issued on July 4, 1961. In addition, the insect repellency properties of di-n-butyl succinate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,969 issued on May 24, 1960 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,881 issued on Feb. 14, 1961.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,465 issued on Sept. 10, 1963 discloses a bird repellent composition which may include any one of a number of members of the genus having the structure: ##STR5## wherein each of R.sub.1 is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, inclusive, and x is an integer of from 2 up to 8, inclusive. Such a genus includes dimethyl disulfide although dimethyl disulfide is not specifically mentioned in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,465. U.S. Pat. 2,043,941 issued on June 9, 1936 discloses as an insect repellent methallyl disulfide having the structure: U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,429 issued on Dec. 15, 1959 discloses the compound having the structure: ##STR6## as being highly toxic with respect to a variety of fungus and bacterial organisms. U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,614 issued on Aug. 28, 1962 discloses as an insecticide di-tertiary-dodecyl disulfide.
However, nothing in the prior art discloses the use of either dimethyl disulfide having the structure: ##STR7## or di-n-butyl succinate having the structure: ##STR8## or combinations thereof in attracting certain species of insects including Coleoptera, Psychodidae or house flies.